Bar bell



p l 27, 1954 M. O'BRIEN 2,676,802

3A3 B'ELL Filed Aug. 18, 1952 Michael O'Brien IN V EN TOR.

I vention Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES E N T OFFICE- BAR BELLMichael OBrien, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 304,884

'I'Claim. l

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inexercising devices for human beings and relates with greaterparticularity to the category which has to do with dumbbells, bar bells,and similarly constructed and performing implements.

Those who are advocates of physical culture and those who go in forspasmodic exercising find use for dumbbells and bar bells. With a viewtoward developing muscles varying forms and styles of dumbbells and barbells have been evolved and used. The purpose of the instant inventionis to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon known priorart exercising constructions in the field under consideration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved constructionwhich is such that it may be used as one of a pair of dumbbells or maybe enlarged and used as a single unit, that is, as a barbell.

A further object of the invention, generally speaking, is to improveupon and reduce the number of parts entering into the over-allcombination thereby not only increasing the efiiciency of the structureas a whole, but also rendering the same less costly to manufacture andto otherwise simplify factors of assembling, sale, use, etc.

Briefly summarized, the preferred embodiment of the invention has to dowith a linearly straight bar providing a satisfactory handle. This isprovided at its opposite ends with journals. Mounted for oscillation androtation on the journals are discs. The discs have sufficient mass thatthey are more aptly referred to as weights. By providing the discs witheccentric bearings and mounting the journals in the bearings the discsbecome valuable, manipulable weights which through the medium of atrained and A skillful handling, result in exercising finger, wrist andother muscles which are. not usually brought into play when ordinarydumbbells are employed.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying sheet ofillustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a single dumbbell (or alternatively abarbell) constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentin- Figure 2 is an enlarged view with portions in elevation and sectionshowing the structural de tails in the manner in which they cooperate.

Referring now to the drawings by way of reference numerals the bar orrod, which is of suitable rigid non-corrodible easy-to-grip material, isdenoted by the numeral 4. It might be stated here that it is within thepurview of the invention to use the construction in making up what maybe called a pair of dumbbells or a single barbell and the constructionis the same except that the size is different as will be clear to thereader. In any event the bar is provided with reduced terminal endswhich provide the aforementioned journals 6-6. The weights are ofsuificient size and mass, depending on the requirements of theparticular user or individual as the case may be. Each weight is hereshown as of solid disc-like form. It has an eccentrically located hole 8providing a bearing for the journal and the hole is channeled to providea runway for the anti-friction roller bearings Ill. The weight itself isdenoted by the numeral l2 and it is held in position by an assemblingand retaining nut H! on the screw threaded terminal portion l6 of thejournal. It is, of course, to be noticed that the weights at oppositeends are identical with one another and both are rotatably joined withthe bar by way of the eccentrically arranged bearing openings. Incertain respects the Weights may be said to have a crank motion on theends of the linearly straight bar.

The instrumentality disclosed has sometimes been referred to as aturnbar although it is presumed that, strictly speaking, it is.primarily in the class which has to do with dumbbells and barbells. Inany event the device is an efiicacious muscle building structure. Itwill develop idle muscles that ordinary instrumentalities in this classwould have no effect on whatsoever. When the user raises and lowers thebar with the weights thereon and imparts a wrist twisting motion to thebar it is possible to cause the weights to either swing like pendulumsback and forth or sufiicient momentum may, when the handle is skillfullymaneuvered, cause the weights to rotate throughout an orbital path.Since one in using the device will be moving the arms up and down and inand out from the shoulders and back and forth toward and from the chestetc. and, when the barbell size is used lifting the device up from thefloor and placing it over the head, it is evident that suificient spacevcould not be justly employed here to set out all ofthe exercises and themuscles involved and how the weights can be skillfully caused tooscillate through short arcs or long arcs and rotated completely, etc.It is believed that experience is the best teacher in fullyunderstanding the over-all usefulness of the device herein revealed.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the inventionafter considering the description in connection with the drawings.Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details-comingwithin the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actualpractice, if desired.

Having described the claimed as new is:

In an exercising device of the class described, a linearly straight barwhich is adapted to be grasped by and held directly in the hands of theuser, said bar being provided at its respective invention, what is endswith journals, a pair of duplicate discoidal weights, each weight beingprovided with an off-- center bearing, the respective journals extendingthrough the respective bearings of the weights and said journals beingprovided on their outer ends with assembling and retaining nuts, saidnuts serving to maintain the weights on their journals and to permit theweights to spin or otherwise turn freely on their respective journals.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,058,786 Newkirk Apr. 15, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 12,843 Great Britain 1912

